CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A longtime rivalry is renewed for the 57th time when the No. 15-ranked Austin Peay State University football team battles Eastern Kentucky at 5 p.m. (CT), Saturday, in United Athletic Conference action at Roy Kidd Stadium in Richmond, Kentucky.

Austin Peay (4-2, 2-1 UAC) enters Saturday's game after picking up back-to-back conference wins over Utah Tech, 42-10, and then No. 16-ranked West Georgia, 44-30. Eastern Kentucky (2-3, 0-1 UAC) beat Nicholls, 27-7, in its last game before a bye in Week 6.

Austin Peay is 4-3 against Eastern Kentucky in their last seven meetings, and a win on Saturday would give the Govs more wins against the Colonels since 2017 than they had in the first 57 years of the series from 1959-2016. The Governors, who are 3-1 in their last four trips to Richmond, were the last team to beat the Colonels in Roy Kidd Stadium when they won 33-30 in overtime, Nov. 4, 2023. Since the Govs' last win at Roy Kidd Stadium, Eastern Kentucky has won nine-straight home games.

The Governors are 1-2 on the road this season and 4-4 under head coach Jeff Faris. Additionally, Austin Peay is 6-2 all-time on the road in UAC games and 3-2 in road conference games under Faris.

The Governors are ranked in the Stats FCS Media Poll (No. 16) and the AFCA Coaches Poll (No. 15) for the fifth-straight week and 38th week in program history. The Govs are 21-16 all-time when nationally ranked and 8-12 on the road when nationally ranked; they also are 3-1 all-time while ranked under Faris.

Quarterback Chris Parson was named the UAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second-straight week after going 16-of-26 for 346 yards and three touchdowns and rushing 12 times for 18 yards and two touchdowns.

Parson leads the Govs with 66 carries for 228 yards and six touchdowns this season; he ranks 12th in the FCS, third in the UAC, and leads UAC quarterbacks in rushing scores this season. Parson also is 96-for-146 for 1,372 yards and 10 touchdowns with just two interceptions.

Jaden Robinson is the Govs' top pass-catching target with 20 receptions for 269 yards and a UAC-leading five touchdown receptions. Shemar Kirk also has 19 receptions for 257 yards and three touchdowns, while tight end Jackson Head has added 13 catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns.

Javious Bond leads the Govs with 528 all-purpose yards; he has 198 rushing yards, 93 receiving yards, 116 punt return yards, and 121 kickoff return yards. Bond leads the UAC with a 16.6-yard punt return average and would rank third in the FCS if he had enough returns to qualify; he also ranks 39th in the FCS and second in the UAC with 237 combined kick return yards.

Defensively, Ellis Ellis Jr. and Montreze Smith Jr. lead the Governors with 30 tackles this season. Ellis Jr. also is tied for 15th in the FCS and second in the UAC with six pass breakups; he also ranks 41st in the FCS and fourth in the UAC with 1.00 pass defended per game. Smith Jr. has led the Govs in tackles in two of the last three games and has a tackle for loss in three-straight games after recording his first-career sack against West Georgia.

Linebacker Will Middleton also was the UAC Defensive Player of the Week after totaling seven tackles, a team-leading 2.0 tackles for loss, and a game-sealing, 26-yard pick-six against West Georgia.

Defensive lineman Davion Hood also leads Austin Peay with 6.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks this season; he ranks fourth in the UAC in tackles for loss and 10th in sacks. Charles Crews III is second on the team and eighth in the UAC with 5.5 tackles for loss.

Kicker Carson Smith is 5-of-7 on field goals and 28-of-28 on PATs this season with three field goals from 40-plus yards. In his second season at Austin Peay, Smith already ranks ninth in program history with 18-career made field goals and eighth with 60-career made PATs.

Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Greg Stotelmyer and Jim Tirey on the call, with Kendra Sheehan reporting from the sideline. Fans also can tune into the Governors Sports Network on ESPN Clarksville (104.1 FM/540 AM) or via the TuneIn app to hear Brian Rives and Van Stokes call all the action, with pregame coverage beginning an hour before kickoff.

NOTABLY

DECADE OF THE GOVS

Despite being only halfway through the 2020s, Austin Peay is nine wins away from matching its 43 wins in the 1980s as the winningest decade in program history. The Governors are 34-27 in the 2020s and their .557 winning percentage is the best in a decade in program history, topping a .551 (32-26-1) winning percentage in the 1940s. The Govs also are 18-11 at home during the 2020s, and their .621 winning percentage is the second best in a decade in APSU history, trailing only the .714 (20-8) winning percentage at home in the 1940s. Additionally, the Govs have a 16-15 record on the road during the 2020s, making this the only decade in program history where Austin Peay has a winning record away from Clarksville.

GOVERNING FROM THE START

With a 4-2 record through the first six games of the season, Austin Peay is one win away from the eighth start of 5-2 or better in program history. In three of the previous seven starts of 5-2 or better, the Governors have gone on to win a conference championship. The 1948 Govs started 6-1 en route to the Volunteer State Athletic Conference Championship, while the 1977 OVC, 2022 ASUN, and 2023 UAC Championship teams all started their seasons 5-2. The only Austin Peay team to win a conference title without going 5-2 or better through their first seven games was the 2019 OVC Championship team, which went 4-3 before reeling off seven-straight wins to advance to the FCS Playoff quarterfinals.

UAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

A pair of Govs earned UAC weekly honors for the second-straight week, with quarterback Chris Parson being named the UAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second-straight week and Will Middleton being named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week. Parson is the first Governor to be named a conference player of the week in back-to-back weeks since quarterback Draylen Ellis was named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 6 and Nov. 13 during the 2021 season. Middleton is the first Gov to be named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week since defensive back Jaden Lyles, Sept. 9, 2024.

WE WILL

On May 6, 2025, Will Hardrick, a senior on the Austin Peay football team, tragically passed away. In addition to a helmet sticker with Hardrick's initials and jersey number, a different Governor will be chosen to wear No. 0 each week in honor of Hardrick. Each Monday of the season, head coach Jeff Faris will select the player who best exemplifies Hardrick's character and work ethic to wear the No. 0 in his honor that week. In Week 6 against West Georgia, sophomore wide receiver Jaden Robinson wear No. 0.

SCOUTING THE COLONELS

• Saturday is the 57th meeting between Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky; the Colonels lead the all-time series, 48-8.
• Eastern Kentucky closed the 2024 regular season with five-straight wins to earn a trip to the FCS Playoffs, where it fell to No. 11 Villanova, 22-17, in the first round. The Colonels went 8-5 overall and 6-2 in the UAC last season, and were picked to finish third in the 2025 UAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Eastern Kentucky ranks last in the UAC in scoring (16.6), total (219.2), rushing (115.0), and passing (104.2) offense. Preseason All-UAC running back Brayden Latham has 68 carries for 281 yards and a touchdown, while Preseason All-UAC wide receiver Marcus Calwise Jr. has nine receptions for 116 yards. Quarterback Myles Burkett is 47-of-100 for 443 yards and a touchdown; he also has rushed 48 times for 78 yards and a touchdown. EKU has only passed for 100 yards in one game this season, while only topping 300 yards of total offense twice and 100 rushing yards twice.
• Eastern Kentucky ranks second in the UAC in passing defense (190.4), fourth in total defense (350.0), fourth in rushing defense (159.6), and fifth in scoring defense (27.8). EKU ranks fourth in the FCS and second in the UAC with 12 turnovers gained; it ranks second in the FCS in fumbles recovered (7) and 23rd in passes intercepted (5) – they rank second in the UAC in both categories. Jaheim Ward leads EKU and ranks fourth in the UAC with 8.3 tackles per game, he also has 2.0 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble.
• A transfer defensive back from Kentucky and Colorado, Vito Tisdale opened the season with a 29-yard pick-six at Louisville. Tisdale is tied for the UAC lead in interceptions (3) and pick-sixes (1). Tisdale ranks ninth in the FCS in interceptions per game (.60) and 12th in passes defended per game (1.4) – he leads the UAC in both categories. Tisdale also leads the UAC with seven total passes defended and ranks fourth with four pass breakups. He also has 12 tackles and half a tackle for loss this season.

UP NEXT

Austin Peay takes its bye in Week 8 before returning to Fortera Stadium for a UAC contest on Homecoming when it takes on North Alabama at 3 p.m., Oct. 25 in Clarksville, Tennessee.  The Week 9 contest between the Governors and Lions will be streamed on ESPN+.

For news and updates throughout the 2025 season, follow Govs football on X (@GovsFB) and Instagram (@GovsFootball) or stay tuned here at LetsGoPeay.com.